7-day menu planner

2/26 FAMILY SUNDAY

Lemon Chicken With Rice and Artichokes (see recipe) is perfect for family day. Serve the one-dish meal with a Boston lettuce salad and dinner rolls. Apple turnovers (frozen) and vanilla ice cream are a family kind of dessert. Plan ahead: Save enough ice cream for Saturday.

2/27 BUDGET MONDAY

Beef Stir-Fry With Spinach (see recipe) is easy on the food budget. Serve it over brown rice, and add a romaine salad and whole-grain rolls. For a light dessert, try pears.

Plan ahead: Prepare enough stir-fry and cook enough rice for Tuesday.

2/28

HEAT-AND-EAT TUESDAY Take advantage of those leftovers for Beef-Stuffed Peppers. Split orange or yellow bell peppers in half lengthwise. Place cut-side down in baking dish. Cover and microwave on high (100 percent power) 1 minute per pepper; drain. Meanwhile, combine stir-fry (chopped) with leftover rice, moisten with unsalted beef broth and heat. Stuff peppers with mixture; sprinkle with crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese and serve. Add tiny green peas (frozen) and whole-grain bread. Fresh or canned tropical fruit is a light dessert.

3/1 EXPRESS WEDNESDAY

Select any frozen stuffed Burritos for a super-easy meal. Garnish the stuffed burritos with reduced-fat sour cream. Serve them with steamed carrots .For dessert, plums are easy, too.

3/2 KIDS THURSDAY

What could make kids happier than to have Cheeseburger Melt for dinner? Heat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. In a medium bowl, mix together 1 1/3 cups reduced-fat baking mix (such as Bisquick), 1/4 cup water, 2 eggs and 1 cup (1 1/2 cups total) of shredded 50 percent light cheddar cheese. Spread in dish. Cook 1 pound lean ground beef or ground turkey breast, or mixture of both, in a large nonstick skillet on medium-high for 6 minutes or until no longer pink; drain well. Add 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed less-fat, less-sodium cream of mushroom soup and 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables; heat 5 minutes or until hot. Spread over batter. Bake 23 to 25 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese. Bake 1 to 3 more minutes or until cheese melts. Cut into squares and serve. Garnish with salsa if desired. Serve with cherry tomato halves. Fresh pineapple chunks make a good dessert.

3/3 MEATLESS FRIDAY

You won’t have any leftovers of delicious Spaghettini With Goat Cheese and Fresh Basil. Place cooked whole-wheat spaghettini in a large bowl and add 2 ounces herb-flavored goat cheese cut into small pieces, 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil, 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; stir until well-blended. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet on medium-high. Add 2 teaspoons minced garlic; cook 30 seconds. Add 2 cups halved grape tomatoes; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add 2/3 cup unsalted vegetable broth; cook 1 minute. Add tomato mixture to pasta mixture; toss gently to combine. Serve with mixed greens and garlic bread. Make instant pistachio pudding (with 1 percent milk) for dessert.

3/4 EASY ENTERTAINING SATURDAY

We’re putting Herb-Baked Tilapia (see recipe) on our favorites list. Serve it with refrigerated hash-browned potatoes, green beans ,a bibb lettuce salad and crusty bread. An easy dessert is leftover ice cream with strawberry sauce.